


Monthly Comic Garden

by Circuit



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Gen, Makoto Niijima Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2019-01-03 19:08:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12152952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Circuit/pseuds/Circuit
Summary: It's the release date of the next issue of the manga Makoto's been following. And yet, despite the magazine's popularity suggesting it should be well stocked, she finds herself having trouble actually locating a copy.Written for Day 6 of Tumblr's Makoto Niijima Week: Pastimes/Interests.





	Monthly Comic Garden

**Author's Note:**

> I live in a town with no comic or game stores. That was basically the inspiration for this.

The bell rang to signal the end of the day, and Makoto immediately packed her things up and headed to the station. Ordinarily, she’d stay behind in case Akira wanted to hang out, or the student council or another student needed her help. But today was October 5th. And that meant a new issue of Monthly Comic Garden magazine would be hitting the shelves. After missing it for most of last month, she didn’t want another delay for the next part of the manga she followed.

She debarked the train at Shibuya station, and headed towards Central Street’s bookstore, double checking that she had enough yen on her, before stepping inside.

“Welcome, miss,” the clerk said.

“Hello,” Makoto nodded. “Do you have the new Monthly Comic Garden in stock?”

“Monthly Comic Garden?” the clerk asked, looking something up. “We did get a few issues in, but we didn’t stock many. Check the manga section.”

“Thank you,” Makoto said. The information wasn’t particularly helpful, but she always felt the need to check with the clerk.

She ignored the surprised looks some fellow Shujin students gave her as she skimmed through the shelves. After a few minutes, she realized it wasn’t there.

“Sold out already?” she sighed.

“Um, N-Niijima-senpai?” one of the students nervously asked.

“Yes?” Makoto glanced at him.

“Are you… in the right section?” he asked.

“This is manga, isn’t it?” Makoto asked.

“Y-yeah.”

“Then, I am,” she said. She had a sudden realization. “Oh, maybe you’d know! Have you seen any copies of Monthly Comic Garden?”

“There’s some over there,” the student’s friend said.

“I checked that already, but those are last month’s issue,” Makoto said. “I even looked to see if someone hid a newer one in the back to pick up later.” She adjusted her bag and let out a sigh.

“Um… maybe the magazine racks in the station have some?” the first student awkwardly suggested.

“...that’s a good idea,” Makoto said, smiling. “Thank you very much for the suggestion. Well, have a good day.”

“Y-you too, senpai…” he said, staring ahead as she left. “...is she gone?”

“Yeah,” his friend said, glancing over the shelves and out the window to see Makoto heading down the street.

“Good,” he said, grabbing an ecchi magazine off the shelf. “I don’t think I’d be able to ever go to school again if our student council president knew I was buying this.”

~~~

Makoto soon found herself down in the underground walkway of Shibuya Station. She had to stop herself from automatically heading towards the line to Yongen, reminding herself she wasn’t down here to go to a team meeting, and began skimming the magazine racks as she walked past.

“These are all job applications and tabloids,” Makoto sighed after a while.

“Huh?” a familiar voice said. “Oh, hey, Makoto!”

“Ann?” Makoto turned to see her friend running towards her.

“Hey, funny running into you here,” Ann said.

“I suppose so, yes,” Makoto said. “What brings you here?”

“I usually spend my free time window shopping in the Underground Mall,” Ann explained.

“The mall?” Makoto repeated. “Say, there wouldn’t happen to be any manga shops there, would there?”

“I’ve never seen one,” said Ann. “Why, you’re into manga?”

“I’ve been developing an interest, yes,” Makoto said awkwardly.

“Oh, that’s so cool,” Ann said. “I read a few romance ones myself. What manga are you looking for?”

“O-oh, it’s one that’s being published in Monthly Comic Garden,” Makoto said awkwardly. “It’s sort of based on a novel, and it’s about spies and intrigue, so it really caught my attention.”

“That is very like you,” Ann laughed as the two of them walked back through the station.

“Yes, I suppose it is,” Makoto giggled as well. She quickly stopped and sighed. “The new issue is out today. I hated having to wait last month when the school trip and Morgana and Ryuji’s feud kept me from getting to buy it, so I was hoping to get it today.”

“Yeah, waiting for the change of heart on it’s own is bad enough, but having to wait for something to kill time with, too? Trust me, I get that. It’s why I’ve been playing video games so much more lately.”

Makoto nodded, checking her phone. “I guess I’ll just head home for today, though, since the bookstore here sold out of their meager issue selection.”

“Senpai, you’re just giving up?” Ann asked. She took out her phone, sending a quick message. “Here, I’ll check if Ryuji knows of any stores. He might be able to hook you up.”

“Oh, you really needn’t bother-” Makoto began.

“He said yeah, it’s cool,” Ann said, smiling. “Hey, and he and Akira are at the gym on Central Street right now. What do you say we all go?”

“Oh, I sort of prefer shopping on my own.”

“Give it a try, it’ll be fun!” Ann said. “Come on!”

“Ann!” Makoto protested, but Ann already ran off. She let out a sigh. “They’re so going to tease me for what I’m reading…” She quickly made her way to catch up with Ann.

~~~

Soon, they found Akira and Ryuji waiting for them at the alley across from the arcade. They were both still dressed in workout clothes.

“Hey, thanks for helping us out,” said Ann.

“No problem,” said Akira.

“So, you’re into manga, Miss Prez?” Ryuji asked.

“I am, yes,” Makoto said.

“I never thought you were actually reading it,” Akira said. "I thought you just had that to hide your face when following me."

“I wanted to make sure I could answer questions if quizzed on it,” Makoto said. “I’m thorough in going undercover. Not that that's the one I'm currently looking for.”

“So, what are you reading now?” Ryuji asked.

“It’s in Monthly Comic Garden,” Makoto said.

“Yeah, I already heard that from Ann. I mean, what is it?”

“Okay, I know you’re going to laugh, so let me just say ahead of time that I read it because it’s part of a series that started with the novel, and the plot and characters are-”

“Just say it!” Ann interrupted.

“...it’s called Joker Game,” Makoto mumbled.

“Aw, Queen,” Akira smiled while Ann and Ryuji stifled some laughter.

“It wasn’t because that’s your codename!” Makoto protested, face red.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” Akira said.

“A-anyway,” Ryuji said, stuttering as his laughter died. “Yeah, follow me. I know a place.”

“Thank you so much,” Makoto said, following Ryuji down the street. Eventually, they reached their destination, only to find the shades drawn, and a gate behind the shut door.

“Oh, what, did they close early or something?” Ryuji asked, squinting in at the shop.

“There’s a sign over here,” Akira said.

“Closed for renovations?” Ann read.

“The hell?” Ryuji said. “It was open last weekend!”

“Great,” Makoto sighed. “Another run around that amounted to nothing.”

“Hey, this ain’t my fault!” Ryuji said.

“I wasn’t blaming you,” Makoto said. “Sorry if it came off that way. I’m just tired. By now I’ve walked all over Shibuya in the search for a single magazine. You'd think with its sale numbers they'd have more in stock.”

“Why don’t you just subscribe to this one, too?” Ann asked. "Didn't you say you subscribed to one when we were driving around Mementos that one time?"

“Sis wasn’t too happy about my that magazine subscription,” Makoto said. “I doubt she’d approve if I started getting manga mailed to the house.”

“Hm,” Akira frowned, taking his phone out. “Monthly Comic Garden, right?”

“Yes, why?” Makoto asked. “If you know someone that reads it, I prefer owning the copies to borrowing, so you needn't ask them. I can wait.”

Akira didn’t reply, continuing to type things out on his phone.

“Akira?”

“I heard you,” he said, putting his phone away. “Sorry things didn’t work out.”

“It’s alright,” said Makoto.

“I’ll try and find a more reliable shop for the future,” Ryuji said, rubbing his head. “Damn, and I was kinda hoping to pick something up myself, today…”

“These things happen, I suppose,” Makoto said. Despite appearing to be brushing it off, she couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice.

“Hey, wanna head to the arcade?” Ann suggested. “I mean, we’re trying to kill time, right? And it might cheer you up.”

“I think I’ll just head home and study for midterms, actually,” Makoto said. “Thank you for offering, though.”

“Well, guess we’ll get back to the gym then,” Ryuji said. “Come on, Akira.”

“Actually, I was going to head home,” Akira said. “Just realized I need to talk to Boss about something.”

“Ah, damn,” Ryuji said. “Fine, next time, then.”

Makoto gave Akira a look of curiosity as he walked off, waving to them as he left.

“Yo, Ann, is that arcade invite still open?” Ryuji asked.

“Totally!” Ann said. “See ya, Makoto!”

“See you,” Makoto replied, as the two headed off. She frowned, checking the time on her phone, before heading back home. It wasn’t that close to the evening yet, but it was clear she wasn’t going to find her magazine today.

~~~

It was after school the next day. Makoto finished up assisting with cleaning the classroom and began to head out. Maybe her request yesterday would mean the bookstore had decided to stock more than a handful of issues of a popular manga magazine.

“Makoto.”

"Hm?" She turned to see Akira walking towards her, a grin on his face. “Oh, Akira. I was just heading out. Did you want something?”

“Yeah,” Akira said, holding up a magazine still in a protective plastic sleeve.

Makoto’s eyes widened. “I-is that…?”

“Monthly Comic Garden,” Akira answered. “I subscribed last night with Leblanc as the mailing address. Apparently there were stores nearby that could get it there fast, too. Had to spend a little extra for it to arrive overnight, but-”

Makoto cut him off by pulling him into a hug, ignoring the odd looks and whispers of the other students in the hall. “Thank you! That… I didn’t know you were buying it for me!”

“Come on, you give me gifts all the time,” Akira said, awkwardly smiling, Makoto having pinned his arms to his sides leaving him unable to hug her back. “Besides, I know from experience how frustrating waiting for manga can be. Didn’t have many shops for that stuff out in the countryside.”

Makoto released the hug, still smiling up at him. “I… do you want to read it with me? I really feel like I need to return the favor.”

“Sure,” Akira said. “Just don’t get too mad if I’m completely lost by the story.”

“Don’t worry,” Makoto said. “I’m more than happy to fill you in.”


End file.
